Superheroes are more popular and more mainstream than ever. It seems like every week there’s a new superhero movie, TV show, or videogame hitting the screens. Nearly all of these superheroes and their stories originated in comic books. Of course, there are decades and decades worth of comics out there, and to a new fan it can be daunting trying to figure out which ones to read. In this column, I’m gonna try my best to give new fans fun, easy to understand jumping-off points into the world of comics. As far as accessibility goes, most of these comics are collected and readily available from comic shops, bookstores or online from subscription services such as Comixology, Marvel Unlimited, and D.C. Universe. Additionally, I always recommend your local library as a free source of comics to read, and with inter-library loan systems you can get your hands on pretty much anything.
For this edition of Where to Begin, I’m going to look at the Strongest Avenger himself, the Incredible Hulk. Hulk may seem at the outset like a simple character, nothing more than a big dumb green guy who gets angry and smashes things. However, when written well, the character is one of the deepest in Marvel’s entire roster. His stories often explore themes of persecution and isolation, all while providing dynamic superhero action. For everyone who enjoyed Hulk’s parts in the Avengers movies and Thor: Ragnarok, here’s where to begin.